After acquiring a number of simple sentences, sufficient for his immediate use, the learner can do no better than give attention to bits of colloquial description as given by natives, A few specimens are here subjoined. Though brief, they will serve to show how the Chinese proceed from one thought to another in common place things of every day life. They are not made up, but are fragments of actual descriptions taken down from native lips exactly as they were spoken. Too much cannot be said in favor of this method of learning Chinese, for it enables one to follow a Chinaman in his thoughts, and furnishes the learner with the nouns and verbs appropriate to the topic in hand. Colloquial portions of the Scripture narrative which already exist in the missions at Swatow, both in Chinese character and Romanized, furnish a large supply. In addition to those, the pupil would do well to gather abundant stores of his own about common place topics from common people. The descriptions thus heard may not always be cultured in style, and would receive some trimming at the hands of a scholarly graduate, which should be taken into account. But they will be clear and intelligible colloquial as used and understood by the million.
In the sentences that follow, notice, for example, the peculiar and frequent use of “chí-kâi”, this one, or this, or as here used, the. It brings the noun to which it is attached, into a little more prominence than it would otherwise have.
Cooking Rice,—Soiⁿ phah-sǹg jie̍h-chōi-nâng ēng-chia̍h jie̍h-chōi-bí, first consider how many men will need to eat how much rice, — jiên-ãu, khṳ̀-chhah-bí, then go and take up some rice; — ēng-kâi-tháng, ho̍k-ēng kâi-uáⁿ, use a measure(full) or use a bowl (full), — chiè-i sî-siêⁿ só-chia̍h, jie̍h-chōi, according to what they usually eat, (just) so much. — Bí—lo̍h-chí kâi-tháng, the rice, put it down in the bucket,—ho̍k-puah, or—earthenware vessel;— ēng-chúi, lâi-sói, use water, come and wash it;—lo̍h-khṳ̀ kiè-chò-chúi, that which is put down in, is called water.Sói-ãu, thîn--chhut-lâi-kâi, kiè-chò-phun, after it is washed, that which is poured out is called “phun” (rinsings);—ié chheng-khih kâi-chúi lâi-chò-ám, dip clean water in order to make “ám” (congee).
